


'Attempting' To Discover the Past

by AutumnAlchemist, BlueSpiritsLight



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Excavation, Fluff, Four is done, Gen, Legend is a little shit, Slight Mentions of Flora/Wild but mostly focused on Shenanigans, Time is DONE, Twilight is done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23179987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutumnAlchemist/pseuds/AutumnAlchemist, https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueSpiritsLight/pseuds/BlueSpiritsLight
Summary: Prompt: The boys meet up with Flora (BOTW ZELDA) and she takes them on an Archaeology Adventure. She makes them help excavate somethingThis is a Prize Fic from the Linked Universe Discord Anniversary Games! Whoever requested this Prompt, I hope you like it!
Relationships: Flora & Wild (Linked Universe), Four & Hyrule & Legend & Sky & Time & Twilight & Warriors & Wild & Wind (Linked Universe), Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 225





	'Attempting' To Discover the Past

“So why did you want our help, Princess?” Zelda glanced over her shoulder to see who had spoken, seeing the Hero of Time walking slightly behind her. They were walking the final distance to the site from the stable, and she could just barely see the ravine come into view. She sighed inwardly at the hero’s formality, but realized that it would take time before all of Link’s friends stopped walking on eggshells around her.

“Well, we tried to start the excavation here around a month ago, but there were some… complications," she admitted, nervous about how they would take the next information. When she noticed how close they were to the excavation site, she stopped walking and turned to face the Heroes, clapping her hands and bouncing slightly on her toes.

“We’re nearly there now! The scaffolding was never actually finished, so it is a bit dangerous getting down to the bottom of the ravine. Please be careful though! It would be very inconvenient if someone were to fall.” She spun back around and set off again at a brisk pace before any of them could say anything, her excitement making her antsy. 

She smiled when she reached the top of the scaffolding, beginning to make her way down the half built ramps.

“Zelda! You’re gonna fall! Be careful, please!” She laughed as Link’s voice echoed through the canyon and paused for a moment to glance back at him and respond, “You’re one to talk!” 

She made it to the bottom without incident and turned to watch the Heroes follow her lead, some more confidently than others. Link didn’t even bother to use the scaffolding, merely jumping off the cliff and opening his para glider to slow his fall. He landed next to her and together they waited for the others to catch up.

After only a brief scare when the youngest of the group nearly slipped off only to be grabbed by the one with the blue scarf, they set off again towards the northeastern end of the canyon. She chatted a bit with Link as they walked, catching up on what happened so far on his journey. She would often laugh as he told stories of things the other Heroes had done, not always the most flattering but each of them helped her understand each of them just a little more.

The temple they were there to explore was finally visible and Zelda didn’t even realize the whole group had stopped until she didn’t hear their footsteps behind her. She turned in confusion to see a mixture of awe and concern on their faces.

“You don’t really expect us to help you excavate this entire temple, right?” Zelda smiled at the Hero of Legend, choosing to ignore his tone. He was a Hero after all.

“Of course not! I just want some help getting to some artifacts. How often am I going to be able to ask 8 Heroes from across time to help me with my research? You’ll probably be much more helpful than Link over here, all he wants to do is wander off and get lost!” She quickly looked over at the hero in question to make sure he realized she was joking, but he had a content smile on his face and he was looking around at the canyon they were in, seemingly unconcerned with the teasing.

The group stood before the ‘entrance’ to the temple, if it really could be called that. In reality, it was just a wall that towered over them, an opening barely visible near the top. Zelda began digging around in her pack for her rope, letting out a soft ‘ah ha!’ when she pulled it out. 

She was startled when Link took it from her hands and began walking towards the wall, his gaze fixed on the opening. "I'll head up and tie the rope, then you should all be able to get up." She looked at the other Heroes but was surprised to see them merely rolling their eyes.

"Just don't get yourself killed, Wild. I don't know how much more the Old Man can take," the one with the pelt around his shoulders, the Hero of Twilight she believed, was the one to speak up to her surprise, though he was quickly elbowed in the side by the Hero of Time. She couldn’t help but giggle at the interaction, satisfied that at least one of the Heroes wasn’t going to be so formal the entire time.

She watched as Link crouched down, hands braced on the ground on either side of him. There was a rush of wind as he channeled Ravali’s Gale and soared up into the air, his para glider appearing in his hands. She never tired of getting to see the glimpses of her old friends every time Link used the champions abilities. 

While it did make her feel some joy seeing their spirits, it was always shadowed by guilt. Before the guilt ruined her good mood, there was a hand on her shoulder. She turned in surprise to see the Hero of the Sky smiling at her gently.

“You did everything you could, Your Highness. Don’t feel guilty over the past, look back on it and use it to be stronger.” She smiled in return and nodded, glancing back over the see Link vanishing over the top of the wall.

“Wild told us about his memories. He never blamed you for anything. He respects your strength and admires your enthusiasm.” Sky continued, his voice gentle still and hopeful. At least someone still believed in her, even if she no longer believed herself. Warmth spread in her chest and she smiled at the hero beside her.

“Thank you, Hero of the Skies. Your words help a great deal.” He nodded at her with a shy smile and removed his hand from her shoulder. But she needed to set the record straight with them.

“You may call me Zelda. I haven’t felt much like royalty since I returned, and I find it much more fun to travel among friends.” She looked at the other heroes, making it clear that she was talking to all of them. 

“If we are to call you Zelda, then you can call us by our names as well.” She turned back to the Hero of the Sky and laughed slightly as she responded, “So I should call you all Link? I feel that would be rather confusing.” The others laughed slightly before the Hero of Time spoke up with a smile.

“Which is why we just have nicknames,” Time began, giving her a slight smile. “I go by Time, then we have Sky,” here, he gestured at the hero next to her who gave a slight nod.

“Then there’s Twilight, Four, Legend, Wind, Warriors, and Hyrule,” he pointed to each of them in turn, and each of them gave some form of acknowledgement, ranging from nods to a grin and a small wave. 

“So you call Link Wild?” Before any of them could answer, there was an explosion from where Link had vanished into the temple. Smoke billowed from the opening and everyone took a few steps forward, reaching for something they could use to get up to where Wild was probably dead or dying.

Before anyone could act however, Link’s soot-covered face appeared over the edge and he had a wide grin. 

“OK! I killed all the guardians!” There was a collective groan from the group of heroes before they all began walking towards the wall, Zelda taking a moment to shake off her shock before hurrying to catch up.

The rope was tossed over the edge and hung just above Warriors head. Zelda frowned slightly, knowing she probably wouldn’t be able to reach it on her own. She saw a smirk on Legend’s face as he turned to Four and crossed his arms. 

“Well, Hero of Midgets, need a lift?” Zelda watched, stifling her giggles, as Hyrule smacked Legend on the back of the head. Four glared at the taller hero before abruptly turning to Twilight.

He moved forward and pushed the Ordonian towards the rope, not saying a word in answer to his protests. Nobody knew what he was planning and could only watch in confusion as it happened.

“Now, stay there, face the wall, and don’t move.” Four backed away from the older hero, who was still not explaining what he was planning.

Suddenly Four took off in a sprint and leapt onto Twilight’s back, using him like a springboard to reach the rope.

Everyone burst into laughter at Twilight's face as he stumbled forward at the impact, tripping on a stone in front of him. He barely put his hands up in time to catch himself before he broke his nose. He pushed himself up and glared halfheartedly at the smallest hero, who was nearing the halfway point of the climb.

“You couldn’t have just, I don’t know, told me you were going to do that?” Zelda could hear that there was no real anger in his voice, more just a tired acceptance.

Once most of the laughter had died down, the others began to make their way up to the rope to enter the temple. Once most of the heroes that could reach the rope had made it to the top, Time turned to face Wind and Zelda. 

“I can help you up if you want, just don’t follow Fours example. I don’t think my old bones would be able to handle it.” Zelda smiled at him and nodded, moving forward once Wind gestured for her to go first. 

Time positioned himself behind her and lifted her up with his hands on her waist. She grabbed the rope but soon realized there was a problem

“I’m not going to be able to pull myself up…” She frowned at her inadequate strength in her upper body. 

“Yes you can, just in a different way. Put one foot on top of the other with the rope in between. Then you can put some of your weight on that so you don’t have to do all the work with your arms." She tried it, and found she actually could raise herself up a small amount at a time.

Using that method, she managed to slowly make her way up, but by the time she reached to top, her arms were aching horribly. Strong hands gripped her arms and she looked up to see Twilight and Link leaning over the edge to help her up. She allowed them to pull her the rest of the way up, her limbs feeling strangely numb.

“That… was much harder than expected,” she said between breaths as they helped her to her feet. Link held onto her arm a bit longer than Twilight did, turning her hands over to make sure she hadn’t gotten hurt during the climb. 

“They are just a bit sore, nothing to worry about.” She gently pulled her hands away before gently squeezing his arm in thanks while giving him a smile. 

Wind crawled over the edge of the wall, groaning dramatically and interrupting the moment, causing Link and Zelda to step apart slightly in surprise. Warriors dragged the sailor up by his sleeve, whispering something in his ear with a slight smirk. Zelda watched in confusion as Wind’s eyes widened comically before a grin split his face and he nodded. Zelda leaned closer to Link. 

“Should we be worried?” She asked jokingly, but she did not expect the serious look on his face. 

“Yes, very.” She noticed the slight smile on his face, and realized she wouldn’t really mind dealing with the young hero’s mischief. 

Time wasn’t too far behind Wind. Once the group had finally gotten together, they could finally turn their attention to the temple ruins that awaited them. Zelda walked forward, glancing around in amazement.

“This is amazing! With the age of these ruins, to be in such good condition… it’s astounding!” In her exuberance to explore, she wasn’t paying attention to the ground beneath her feet. The sudden feeling of hands grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to stop her forward movement startled her. She looked down and her eyes widened as she looked down at the VERY long fall that was only half a step in front of her. 

“Oh.. Thanks,” Zelda said breathlessly, taking a step back, nearly bumping into Link where he stood behind her. “I guess I should probably pay more attention to where I’m walking.” She smiled sheepishly as he rolled his eyes good naturedly before tossing the rope over the edge of the drop.

“Maybe use this instead.” She glared at him playfully before huffing indignantly and pretending to be offended at his tone.

“I’ll have you know I was perfectly aware of the drop.” She couldn’t keep up the facade though and began giggling slightly. Link smiled and bowed extravagantly, gesturing at the rope. “Well your highness, ladies first.” She wrapped some fabric around her hands this time before sliding down the rope to avoid burning herself, and luckily the rope reached the bottom this time. 

Link landed next to her, putting away his glider, and Sky landed shortly after with the large white cloth he normally wore as a cape clutched in his grip. The others heroes didn’t take long to join them. 

“You know, something about this place reminds me of the Sealed Temple from my time,” Sky commented from beside her, looking around curiously. She stared at him, wide-eyed, as a realization hit her.

“Wait, you’re all from the past. This very well might be from your time!” Sky frowned as he walked forward, looking a little closer.

“It’s not exactly the same, but it could have been changed as time went on,” He explained, frowning in thought as his eyes roamed around the ceiling and columns in thought. The group followed as Sky began to walk around the temple, jumping over long gaps in their curiosity. 

“So right here was actually a portal through time called a Time Gate. It would take you back and forth between my time and the time right after Skyloft was first sent up into the sky.” There were no visible remnants of the device he mentioned, but Zelda had Link take some pictures anyway so she could look at the details later.

They passed a few more things, Sky explaining what he knew of each one, before someone noticed that Hyrule had stopped. 

“What are you doing?” Legend walked up to the other hero who was standing still and staring at the wall in deep concentration. 

“Thinking about blowing up this wall.”

“Why?!”

“It looks funny.”

By now everyone had stopped and was staring at Hyrule like he was crazy, and now Zelda wasn’t so convinced that he wasn’t.

“Why not?”

Everyone whipped around to stare at Link as he pulled out a bomb from his slate, a grin on his face. Before they could do anything to stop him, he tossed it past Legend and Hyrule. The two young heroes hurried back from the wall as the bomb went off, shattering the wall and creating a large cloud of dust.

Zelda coughed slightly and waved the dust out of her face, blinking it out of her eyes. As the dust settled, almost everyone was surprised to see a dark tunnel, dipping down until it was too dark to see. 

“Told you.” 

Hyrule marched forward as the rest of the group were recovering from their shock, disappearing into the darkness. The others began hurrying after him, but froze when there was a startled scream and the sound of a guardian activating.

Seconds later, Hyrule dove out of the tunnel and the bright blue light of a guardian laser flew over all of their heads. It slammed into the wall on the other side of them and broke off large chunks of rock that fell to the ground with a few large crashes.

“OK. Let’s not go down there.” Legend stalked forward and dragged Hyrule to his feet and away from the tunnel. 

“Agreed…” Hyrule walked past them all, wide-eyed from the near disaster. Zelda walked with the group for a few steps before she noticed that Link wasn’t with them. She stopped and turned around to see he wasn’t anywhere in sight.

“Um… Where did Link go?” Time and Twilight instantly locked gazes with each other before letting out twin sighs. 

“We’ll get him.” They turned and walked together back towards the tunnel only to stop when the sound of a guardian firing rang through the room. More smoke trickled out of the tunnel, closely followed by a very matter-of-fact Link. That wasn’t the worst part though. The worst part was the burnt and broken pot lid he was carrying.

“Wild. What did you do?”

“Killed the guardian.”

“Of course you did.”

“Let’s go see what it was guarding!”

Time had the most disappointed look on his face as Twilight and Wild talked, but everyone else seemed to be holding back their laughter. Zelda stepped forward, her desire to explore something like this overpowering her logical fear of more guardians. She had to know!

“Let’s go look! Maybe there is something of valuable knowledge down there!” She didn’t wait a second longer before heading down, leaving the others behind in her excitement to seek out new knowledge.

Behind her, she heard the rest of the heroes scrambling to catch up as she walked with Link into the darkness of the tunnel. 


End file.
